Mounting System, Especially for Lamps

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a mounting system, especially for a lamp, with a mounting unit ( 1 ) and a housing bottom plate ( 4 ) which are connected by a connecting device to connecting elements ( 2, 5 ) cooperating in pairs. The first connecting element ( 2 ) is formed as a ring with a surrounding ridge ( 3 ), and the second connecting element ( 5 ) is formed like a cover with a cover bottom ( 7 ) and a collar portion ( 6 ) consisting of individual clips. The second connecting element ( 5 ) is slidable on the first connecting element ( 2 ) in such a way that its collar portion ( 6 ) with the clips lockingly engages the back face of the ridge ( 3 ) of the first connecting element ( 2 ) and can be brought into a removal position by a force acting on the cover ( 7 ).

The invention relates to a mounting system, especially for a lamp, witha mounting unit fixable to a wall, ceiling or similar, and a housingbottom plate, wherein the mounting unit and the housing bottom plate arereleasably connected to each other by at least one connecting device andthe connecting device comprises connecting elements which are providedon the mounting unit and the housing bottom plate and are cooperating inpairs.

Lamps which are to be fixed to a wall or a ceiling of a room are oftenmade up of two parts and have a mounting unit and a lamp element, themounting unit being mounted, for example, with the aid of screws to thewall, and the lamp element then being connected to the mounting unit.The disadvantage here is that with known lamps the fixing and also theremoval of the lamp element, for example for maintenance purposes, iscomplex and complicated. There is therefore a requirement for a mountingsystem which makes it possible to mount the lamp element quickly andeasily onto the mounting unit, and to be able to release it from thelatter again just as easily.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the firstconnecting element of the connecting device is formed as a ring with asurrounding ridge, and the second connecting element is formed like acover with a cover bottom and a collar portion consisting of individualclips, wherein the second connecting element is slidable on the firstconnecting element in such a way that its collar portion with the clipslockingly engages the back face of the ridge of the first connectingelement, and wherein the second connecting element can be brought into aremoval position by a force acting on the cover in the direction towardsthe first connecting element, in which removal position the clip-likecollar portion is extended outwardly and releases the ridge of the firstconnecting element.

Therefore, the basic idea behind the invention is to design theconnecting device such that in its holding position the secondconnecting element can be slid onto the first connecting element of theconnecting device, and in so doing the collar portion of the secondconnecting element consisting of individual clips lockingly engages theback face of the ridge of the first connecting element. In this way bothconnecting elements are connected securely to each other. In order torelease this connection again, the second connecting element can bebrought into the removal position. For this purpose a force must beexerted on the cover of the second connecting element, by means of whichthe latter curves inwardly and the clips of the collar portion are bentoutwardly.

Therefore the invention makes provision for the use of connectiondevices which work substantially according to the same principle as theso-called “click clack tins” which are normally used for packaging, e.g.for sweets.

Special advantages of the mounting system according to the invention arethat the housing bottom plate can be mounted in the simplest of waysonto the mounting unit and be released from the latter again.

According to one embodiment of the invention provision is made such thatthe mounting unit and the housing bottom plate have a rectangular form.The advantage here is that a number of lamps, picture frames or similarcan be fixed next to one another in a space-saving manner. Therefore, anumber of lamps can be combined to form a light wall.

In order to guarantee secure connection of the housing bottom plate tothe mounting unit, they can be connected to each other by severalconnecting devices. It is thus guaranteed that even heavier lamps can bemounted without there being any risk of them falling down due tounintentional touching or movement for example.

The mounting system according to the invention is particularly suitablefor LED-based lamps. Since the latter are relatively sensitive todamage, a great advantage here is that first of all the mounting unit,which is largely insensitive can be mounted onto a wall with the aid ofscrews, and only then the housing bottom plate with the LED is fixed.This final step is therefore implemented after completion of the actualmounting work, by means of which the risk of mechanical damage to theLEDs is reduced.

In order to guarantee a simple connection to an electric power supply,it is advantageous if the mounting unit has a connection device forelectric current. Due to this it is no longer necessary to provide anadditional connection between the power supply and the housing bottomplate, for example by connection to a line.

Furthermore, it can be advantageous if the housing bottom plate and themounting plate comprise means for electrically contacting each other.These can be designed for example as spring contact pins which engagewith each other when the connecting elements are connected to oneanother, and so guarantee the supply of electricity to the housingbottom plate without any additional measures.

In a further embodiment of the mounting system according to theinvention provision can be made for the mounting unit to compriseelectrical connecting means which enable to electrically connect it withat least one further neighboured mounting unit. This is particularlyadvantageous if a number of lamps are to be fixed next to one another,since it is then no longer necessary to connect each of the mountingunits to its own feeder.

Tests have shown that connecting devices made of metal, e.g. stainlesssteel, have high resistance. Moreover, they have a high retention force,and show hardly any wear.

If the connecting device has a cylindrical form, it is particularly easyto slide the second connecting element onto the first connecting elementsince no twisting is possible, and furthermore play-free connection isalso possible. Moreover, in this case the click clack tins which arealready known and cheap to buy can be used directly and simply asconnecting devices.

In order to protect the second connecting elements from possible damageduring mounting, it is advantageous to provide the first connectingelement on the mounting unit and the second connecting element on thehousing bottom plate.

According to a further possible embodiment of the invention the secondconnecting element is mounted distantly on the mounting unit or thehousing bottom plate. In this way it is guaranteed that the element canbe moved easily from the holding position into the removal position andback again.

In the following the invention is described in greater detail by meansof an exemplary embodiment with reference to the attached drawings. Thedrawings show as follows:

FIG. 1 a cross-section through a lamp equipped with a mounting systemaccording to the invention with released connecting devices,

FIG. 2 an enlarged section of the mounting system according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 a cross-section of the lamp from FIG. 1, with which the housingbottom plate is mounted onto the mounting unit, and

FIG. 4 an enlarged section from FIG. 3.

The drawings show a lamp arrangement which is equipped with a mountingsystem according to the present invention. The lamp arrangement has aplate-shaped mounting unit 1 which is rectangular in form and can bemounted onto a wall or a ceiling, screwed secure for example, and a lampunit L which is formed by a housing bottom plate 4 and a lamp housing 9fixed to the latter. The mounting unit 1 and the lamp unit L can bereleasably connected to each other by a total of four connecting deviceswhich are provided in the corner regions. These connecting devicesrespectively have a first connecting element 2 which is fixed to themounting unit land is designed in the form of a cylindrical tin whichhas a surrounding ridge 3 beneath its opening region. A secondconnecting element 5 which is mounted onto the lower side of the housingbottom plate 4 is assigned to the first connecting element 2. The secondconnecting element 5 is in the form of a cover and has a collar portion6 consisting of individual, non-connected clips which are mounted onto acover bottom 7. As can be seen especially in the enlarged views of FIGS.2 and 4, the second connecting element is fixed distantly from thehousing bottom plate 4, a washer 11 being disposed between the coverbottom 7 and the housing bottom plate 4. It can not be seen in thedrawing that in its initial position—the holding position—the coverbottom 7 is curved slightly upwards towards the housing bottom plate 4.

On the upper side of the housing bottom plate 4 a board is provided onwhich a plurality of LEDs 8 are disposed.

In order to mount the lamp arrangement illustrated onto a wall, forexample, the mounting unit 1 is first of all fixed, for example screwedsecure, to this wall. After fixing the mounting unit 1 the lamp unit Lis mounted onto the mounting unit 1, the connecting elements 5 in theform of covers and which are provided on the housing bottom plate 4being slid onto the connecting elements 2 in the form of tins providedon the mounting unit 1. The clip-formed collar portion 6 of theconnecting elements 5 in the form of covers 5 are elastically extendedhere until the clips engage behind the surrounding ridge 3 and snap backelastically into their holding position, and in this way connect theconnecting elements 2, 5 securely to each other.

In order to separate the housing bottom plate 4 again from the mountingunit 1, a compressive force is applied once again to the lamp unit 1 inthe direction of the mounting unit 1. The consequence of thiscompressive force is that the curved cover base 7 is curved away fromthe housing bottom plate 4, the consequence being that its clip-formedcollar portion 6 is extended outwardly into a removal position so thatthe connection between the connecting elements 2, 5 is released, and thehousing bottom plate 4 is separated from the mounting unit 1.

Before the housing bottom plate 4 can be connected once again to themounting unit 1, the second connecting elements 5 must first of all bebrought manually back into their holding position. For this purpose acompressive force directed towards the housing bottom plate 4 can easilybe applied to the cover bottom 7 so that the latter curves back into itsinitial position. Alternatively it is possible to press the clips of thecollar portion 6 together again. Then the cover bottom 7 snapsautomatically back into an initial position.

In the drawings it is not shown that electrical connecting means in theform of spring pins are provided in order to connect the board of thelamp unit L to an electrical connecting device of the mounting unit 1.The spring contact pins are designed here so that they are automaticallybrought into contact when the lamp unit L is fixed to the mounting unit1, and in the same way the electrical connection is also interruptedonce again when the lamp unit 1 is released from the mounting unit 1.

In the same way each mounting unit 1 is equipped with electricalconnecting means by means of which the mounting units 1 of adjacentlamps can be connected to one another electrically so that it isbasically only necessary to connect one of a plurality of lamps to anexternal power supply. In the embodiment shown, in FIG. 1 this type ofconnection board 12 is shown to which a corresponding connection boardwhich is disposed in a recess on the upper side of an adjacent mountingunit 1 is assigned. The arrangement is such that the electricalcontacting takes places automatically between the boards when themounting units 1 are mounted onto a wall or similar.

1. Mounting system, especially for lamps, with a mounting unit (1)fixable to a wall or a ceiling and a housing bottom plate (4), whereinthe mounting unit (1) and the housing bottom plate (4) are releasablyconnected to each other by at least one connecting device and theconnecting device comprises connecting elements (2, 5) which areprovided on the mounting unit (1) and the housing bottom plate (4) andare cooperating in pairs, characterized in that the first connectingelement (2) of the connecting device is formed as a ring with asurrounding ridge (3) and the second connecting element (5) is formedlike cover with a cover bottom (7) and a collar portion (6) consistingof individual clips, wherein the second connecting element (5) isslidable on the first connecting element (2) in such a way, that itscollar portion (6) with the clips lockingly engages the back face of theridge (3) of the first connecting element (2), and wherein the secondconnecting element (5) can be brought into a removal position by a forceacting on the cover (7) in the direction towards the first connectingelement (2), in which removal position the clip-like collar portion (7)is extended outwardly and releases the ridge (3) of the first connectingelement (2).
 2. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized inthat the mounting unit (1) and the housing bottom plate (4) have arectangular form.
 3. Mounting system according to claim 1, characterizedin that several connecting units are provided.
 4. Mounting systemaccording to claim 1, characterized in that the lamp is a LED-lamp (8).5. Mounting system according to claim 4, characterized in that themounting unit (1) comprises a connecting device for electric current. 6.Mounting system according to claim 5, characterized in that the mountingunit (1) and the housing bottom plate (4) comprise means forelectrically contacting each other.
 7. Mounting system according toclaim 6, characterized in that the means for electrical contactingcomprise spring contact pins.
 8. Mounting system according to claim 5,characterized in that the mounting unit (1) comprises electricalconnecting means which enable to electrically connect it with a furtherneighboured unit (1).
 9. Mounting system according to claim 1,characterized in that the connecting elements (2, 5) of the connectingdevice consist of metal.
 10. Mounting system according to claim 1,characterized in that the connecting device has a cylindrical form. 11.Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the firstconnecting element (2) is mounted on the mounting unit (1) and thesecond connecting element (5) of the housing bottom plate (4). 12.Mounting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the secondconnecting element (5) is distantly fixed.